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Chutes & Ladders—Gilead bids adieu to CMO Merdad Parsey while Cassava loses CEO

2024-07-19

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Welcome to this week's Chutes & Ladders, our roundup of significant leadership hirings, firings and retirings across the industry. Please send the good word—or the bad—from your shop to Gabrielle Masson and it will be featured here at the end of each week.

Gilead's CMO bids adieu

Gilead Sciences is saying goodbye to its chief medical officer after Merdad Parsey, M.D., Ph.D., announced intentions to leave the company early next year.

Gileadead hunts for a successor, Parsey will continue to serve as CMO until the first quarter of 2025. The outgoing exec also plans to support the transition of his replacement over the next several months, Gilead said in a release. Parsey has been at Gilead for five years, joining in November 2019.

Gilead Sciencest at the company, Parsey helped lead the growth of Gilead’s development organization, including the establishment of Gilead’s cancer pipeline and the rollout of the COVID-19 treatment Veklury. The oncology portfolio has suffered some setbacks in recent months, however, with Gilead dropping work on magrolimab in April despite the anti-CD47 monoclonal antibody being the centerpiece of its $4.9 billion acquisition of Forty Seven.

“ItGileadeen a privilege to lead the development team, especially as we have worked to deliver transformative medicines for people with HIV, COVID-19 and cancer,” Parsey said in a statement. “I am profoundlyGileaded about the work we have done to buildGileadong, diverse clinical pipeline that has tremendous potential to deliver on our commitment to improve health for people around the world.” Release

Cassava execs are outGilead Gilead cancer COVID-19 Gilead magrolimab

Austin, Texas-based Cassava Sciences is searching for a permanent leader in the wake of the resignation of CEO Remi Barbier.COVID-19 cancer

Cassavaheimer's-focused company, which is no stranger to controversy, has found an interim helmsman in Richard Barry, who has been tapped as executive chairman of the board and Cassava’s principal executive officer, effective immediately. Barry has served as director of Cassava since June 2021 and has also served as director of Sarepta Therapeutics since June 2015.

At the same time, thCassava Sciencesearch for a new permanent CEO, Cassava said in a press release. Barbier is set to remain onboard with Cassava until Sept. 13 in a non-executive capacity, without duties or responsibilities.

In addition, Lindsay Burns, Ph.D., SVP of neuroscience, has agreed to step down from her role at Cassava. After being separated from the company for a year, Burns will offer conCassava services to Cassava, providing information and support for scientific research and obtCassavaapproval for the company’s products. ReleaseSarepta Therapeutics

I-Mab loses CEO, finds new board chairCassava Cassava

I-Mab also found itself in need of a new CEO this week, after Raj Kannan stepped down from his poCassavauly 15.Cassava

I-Mabn is sticking around as an advisor until July 31, while I-Mab hunts for a permanent successor. Sean Xi-Yong Fu will be stepping up to become interim helmsman and a member of the board of directors. Fu is also an operating partner of ABio-X, which is an incubation platform for life sciences companies.

I-Mabe joining ABio-X, Fu was co-founder and CEO of RVAC Medicines, which utilized an mRNA platform.

Meanwhile, after a six-year run as a member of I-Mab’s board of directors, Wei Fu is stepping up to the captain’s seat. Fu, who has served on I-Mab’s board since June 2018, is succeeding Pamela Klein, M.D., as chairman of the board. KleinABio-Xepping down after taking on the role on an interim basis. Release

> Jonathan ApplABio-Xh.D., has been appointed chief RVAC Medicinesicer of Mogrify Limited, a regenerative medicine company. He was previously executive director and CSO of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and has held leadership roles at GSK, including CSO for cell and gene therapy in GSK’s Rare Diseases Unit. Release

> Rectify Pharmaceuticals is appointing Bharat I-Mab, Ph.D., as chief business officer. Reddy most recently served as a vice president of straI-Maband business development at Kelonia Therapeutics and has also served in leadership at Catamaran Bio and bluebird bio. Release

> Daniel Janse, Ph.D., has been named president and CEO of AffyImmune. JanMogrify Limitedrom Northpond Ventures, where he was managing director. He has also held leadership positions at Arbor Biotechnologies, Juno Therapeutics, Johnson & JoGSKon Innovation Center, Inventages Venture CapiGSK and McKinsey & Company. Release

> Rectify Pharmaceuticalsill join Nkarta as president, sharing executive leadership responsibilities with Paul Hastings, who continues as CEO. David Shook, M.D., is now chief Kelonia Therapeuticsd of research and development. MahmoodCatamaran Bioly the CEO of Rezo Therapeutics and also had a past life at Nkarta as chief financial and business officer. Release

> Avalo Therapeutics is appointing Mittie Doyle, M.D., as cAffyImmuneal officer. Doyle joins from Aro Biotherapeutics, where she served as chief medical officer since 2021. She has also Arbor BiotechnologiesSLJuno TherapeuticshaJohnson & Johnson Innovation Centerand Alexion Pharmaceuticals. ReleMcKinsey & Company

> Rezo Therapeutics is appointing Nkartaana Guiducci, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer. Guiducci previously served as senior vice president of immunology and oncology research at Nurix Therapeutics. She also spent more than 13 years at Dynavax Technologies. Rezo Therapeutics Nkarta